Is there a prettier town name in England than Shelsley Beauchamp? Or one that would make a better tongue-twister, come to think of it?
The name might be a bit of a mouthful, but there’s nothing complicated about the charms of this beautiful spot in the Worcestershire hills above the Teme Valley. And the houses you can find in this neck of the woods often match the scenery.
Take as an example this lovely home, featured in Country Life this week: Grade II-listed, Georgian Shelsley Grange, set in some 50 acres of elegant gardens, grounds and paddocks. The house was for sale through Andrew Grant and the Telford office of Savills at a guide price of £4m – but between the magazine going to print and hitting the news-stands, it seems a buyer has been found.
It’s not hard to see why. This is a heavenly location, a wooded hillside with distant views of the Malvern and Clee hills, is scattered with remote houses bounded by cherry and apple orchards – a world away from the hustle and bustle of the West Midlands conurbations.
Having bought Shelsley Grange a decade or so ago, the outgoing owners transformed the original mid-19th-century building into a classic country house of charm and grandeur, centred on a formal reception hall with a magnificent cantilevered staircase and four beautifully proportioned reception rooms with full-height, shuttered sash windows, high ceilings and impressive open fireplaces.
In all, the house offers 10,776sq ft of living space, including five reception rooms, a bespoke SieMatic kitchen, eight bedrooms and an orangery leading to a heated indoor-pool area, refurbished in January.
The same meticulous attention to detail is evident in the gardens and grounds and throughout the immaculate equestrian facilities – as befits a top-class competition yard that produced a four-star event horse to successfully complete Badminton Horse Trials earlier this year.
Though Shelsley Grange has now gone off the market, we found several other delightful homes nearby. The Court at nearby Alfrick, for sale at £1.6 million via Knight Frank, bears more than a passing resemblance, and also has its own equestrian facilities, including a manege, fenced paddocks and two stable blocks.
Also in the area is nine-bedroom Orleton House, on the market via Fisher German at £2 million, a splendid country house in just over nine acres with a separate cottage and ‘middle house’, as well as fine grounds and a swimming pool.
Down the valley in the village of Stockton-on-Teme, Andrew Grant are also handling the sale of at Stockton House £1,595,000.
It’s a late 17th century home with nine bedrooms, simply perfectly presented inside and with superb views from the finely-proportioned rooms.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The century-old enamelling technique used to create Van Cleef's lucky ladybird brooch — which has something in common with Country LifeThe technique used in the jeweller's Geneva workshop has been put to good use in its latest creation.
-
‘The best sleep in the sky’: What it’s like to fly in United’s Polaris cabin, approved by American icon Martha StewartUnited’s Business Class cabin goes by the name Polaris and Martha Stewart is a fan. So, how does it fare?
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventureThe interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of PembrokeshireA lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed follyHagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
